By Suzie Ziegler
NEW ORLEANS — Bodycam video obtained by the Associated Press on Wednesday of a deadly arrest has drawn harsh criticism. In the video, troopers used a TASER on a man who had led them on a high-speed pursuit, and then punched and dragged him.
Ronald Greene, 49, had failed to pull over for an unspecified traffic violation, the report says. He later died on his way to the hospital.
Now, his May 2019 arrest is the subject of a federal civil rights investigation. Louisiana State Police initially told Greene’s family that he died from crashing into a tree during the pursuit, the report says. The family has filed a federal wrongful-death lawsuit, claiming that the troopers “brutalized” Greene before covering up the cause of death.
The video clip from AP totals just over two minutes in length. However, AP says the total video length is 46 minutes long.
In the AP released video, one trooper wrestles Greene to the ground, using a neck restraint and punching Greene. Greene is seen lying on the ground for several minutes, bloodied and unresponsive, before he’s loaded into an ambulance.
The arrest remains under investigation, according to Louisiana State Police.